CHAP. XIX.] 



REPTILES. 



381 



Asthenodipsas (1 sp.), Malacca ; Leptognathm (6 sp.), Central and 

 South America; and Anoplodipsas (1 sp.), supposed to come 

 from New Caledonia, and, if so, furnishing a link, though a very 

 imperfect one, between the disconnected halves of the family. 



FAMILY 17. PYTHONID^E. (21 Genera, 46 Species.) 

 GENERAL DISTRIBUTION. 



The Pythonidas, comprising the Eock Snakes, Pythons, and 

 Boas, are confined to the tropics, with the exception of one 

 species in California. They are very abundant in the Neotropical 

 region, where nearly half the known species occur ; the Austra- 

 lian region comes next, while the Oriental is the least prolific in 

 these large serpents. The genera which have been described 

 are very numerous, but they are by no means well defined. 

 The following are the most important : 



Python is confined to the Oriental region ; Morelia, Liasis, and 

 Nardoa are Australian and Papuan; Enygrus is found in the 

 Moluccas, New Guinea.and the Fiji Islands ; Hortulia is African ; 

 Sanzinia is peculiar to Madagascar; Boa, Epicrates, Corallus, 

 Ungalia, and Eunectes are Tropical American; Childboihrus is 

 peculiar to Jamaica and Mexico ; and Lichanotus to California. 



An extinct species belonging to this family has been found 

 in the Brown-coal formation of Germany, of Miocene age. 



FAMILY 18. EKYCID^E. (3 Genera, 6 Species.) 



GENERAL DISTRIBUTION. 



